If you're hip with holistic health, it's likely that you've endeavored a liver cleanse or detox...or been encouraged to do one...and with good reason. In 2002, the Environmental Working Group conducted a small study (9 participants) to measure the chemicals found in their blood. A total of 210 chemicals were found, each participant housing an average of 91 compounds. Heavy metals, chlorinated and brominated chemicals, PCBs, pesticides and herbicides, plastics and plasticizers, parabens and phthalates were all found. These compounds get stored in fat and bone, disrupting homeostasis and our efforts (both conscious and unconscious) at acquiring health.

The question is not "do I need to detox?" but "how do I detox effectively?"

Many people can navigate their lives without feeling the effect of this "body burden." Others experience symptoms of toxification, including autoimmune disease, allergies, food sensitivities, chronic fatigue, brain fog and hormone imbalance.

Thankfully, detoxification is a daily process in the body, not something that waits for an annual cleanse. More appropriately called "biotransformation," detoxification occurs in phases:

To begin biotransformation, toxins and metabolites must first be transported to the liver. This is considered to be phase 0.

In phase 1, the liver rearranges these chemicals into intermediates, which are either more or less harmful than their "parent" forms. For this reason, we need to keep the momentum going so these intermediates shuttle right into phase 2.

The function of phase 2 biotransformation is to attach molecules that make the chemical water-soluble and safe to enter the bloodstream. There are multiply ways the liver accomplishes this - processes called methylation, acetylation, acylation, sulfation and glucuronidation.

Once phase 2 is complete and the safer chemical compound enters the bloodstream, it's time to get it out of the body. Phase 3 of biotransformation occurs mostly in the kidneys and colon, where toxins are eliminated in urine and stool. Phase 3 also occurs in the lungs and skin where toxins are eliminated in our breath and sweat, but to a lesser extent.

posted with permission from OrthoMolecular

Now that you've gotten your biochemistry lesson out of the way for the day, let's consider what all this means for you. Many of your daily habits will either support or impede your body's attempts to eliminate toxins. Given the incredibly important role detoxification plays in not only our prevention of disease but our ability to combat and recover from disease when we do encounter it, it makes sense that given the option we make daily choices to aid this process. Here a few tips to keep you daily detoxification engines running:

Colorful plant foods contain antioxidants and phytonutrients that protect our tissues from the harmful metabolites and oxidative stress created in phase 1. Eat a rainbow in 5-9 servings of vegetables and fruits daily to lay a solid detox foundation.

Support the movement of toxins from your body to the toilet: drink half your body weight in fluid ounces. That daily bowel movement is also a crucial factor! Eat fermented foods, take probiotic supplements and eat foods high in fiber (30-50 grams per day) to address digestive imbalances.

Our daily actions make the greatest impact on our ability to detoxify. That said, it is still very useful to set aside time once or twice a year to do a cleanse. There are many, many programs and products available - get in touch with your health care provider for guidance on an approach best suited to your needs.

Jesse Haas is a licensed nutritionist and co-founder of Wellness Minneapolis. Her work in nutrition and wellness starts at the intersection of evidence-based nutrition and heart-centered care. She offers individualized and group nutrition services with the mission to empower each client with the knowledge, skills and motivation to take their wellness by the reins.